The Third Son
by TheHuntressofstories
Summary: Opposites don't always attract- and this stands true for Kyoya Ootori. Obsessed with inheriting his fathers company, he's never seen relationships as anything other than stepping stones to that goal. Enter Hana. Hardworking and poor, she struggles to fit in as an honor student who came in halfway through the year. Soon she meets the Host Club, and Kyoya. Will love blossom?
1. Prologue

_A/N-So this is my first Ouran story! I've been working on it for a while, and decided to just post it already. It's been difficult, but I hope you enjoy!_

_Disclaimer- I don't own Ouran High School Host Club. If I did, there were would be another season of the anime._

Prologue-

Kyoya had met many possible marriage candidates.

His father had decided that his perfect type was his complete opposite. 'Opposites attract' His father was fond of saying, and Kyoya had nodded understandingly, despite wondering for his fathers intelligence. Sure, opposites attract held true for magnets, but Kyoya had heard only a few cases where that held true for people, and thus the probability of it working on him was very little.

Still, Kyoya didn't voice his opinions. He was polite and charming to every candidate, and he sat silently, speaking every few minutes in between his father stating all his good points as though he was some sort of product. Of course, none of the candidates had really caught Kyoya's attention, and so he'd declined every one.

There was one exception. Rika, her name was. She was the first half-intelligent person his father had brought forth. However, their opinions on multiple matters were too different, and they both agreed that if they did marry it would be full of arguments, and they didn't want that for their future children. Kyoya still talked to her every now and again, though she was very busy, and lived in another state resulting for any arrangements made to be difficult.

His father had wanted him to marry Haruhi, but Kyoya knew that she was dating Tamaki. Kyoya could be heartless on his quest for self-gain, but he wasn't that heartless. Besides, Tamaki had been making more of a fool of himself recently, which was extremely entertaining. The poor guests thought they were gay. Not that there was anything wrong with that, it's just that Kyoya didn't get himself involved in that. He was neither for nor against. It was just an extremely sensitive subject, and Kyoya always let sleeping lions lie. He always did his best to be courteous to the person, for his own benefit. But if they were beneath him in status and wealth... Well, that was another story for another time.

So now his father and President Suoh, Tamaki's father, had been trying to get Haruhi's father to agree with their terms of marriage. Of course Mr. Fujioka was extremely protective of his little girl, and had nearly killed the messengers both fathers had hired. Kyoya had heard that one was still in intensive care at one of the private Ootori hospitals.

Kyoya didn't mind. He had decided to keep an eye out for possible marriage candidates as well, but right now he had to keep trying, keep fighting. He had to outshine his brothers, who were both remarkable in their own way. It wasn't an easy feat, but Kyoya knew that if anyone could do it, he could. After all, he was an object of superior breeding.

He bit back a chuckle as he remembered Haruhi's expression when he'd said those exact words to her, those few months ago, when the festival had come and he'd eaten fast food, explaining to Haruhi the concept behind it. That was one of his few, and fond, memories.


	2. First day

_A/N So in this chapter we meet Hana. It might feel a little slow, and Kyoya doesn't come in for a little while, but I need to set the scene and get Hana introduced to this story, so please, bear with me! Also, Hana is working for Misaki! Kaichou wa maid sama, anyone?_

_ Disclaimer- I don't own Ouran High School Host Club. I'm not that awesome!_

Chapter 1-

Hana smiled at the class. It was a forced one, one used for either greeting someone, or one used to see if the smile will somehow make the outfit the individual was wearing look better. The latter was more common, but Hana's reason was the former.

Her new teacher assigned her a seat; at the front, right next to an orange-haired, orange-eyed guy who had nearly half the entire female population swooning over him. The other half were swooning over his identical twin who sat at the back. Hana immediately knew that those two were the troublemakers of the class, and that the aging teacher had decided to place her right next to a person who attracted attention. Hana inwardly sighed. She hated attention.

Her new class was interesting. Sitting next to the twin who introduced himself as Kaoru, was Haruhi, a girl cross-dressing as a guy for no evident reason. Rich people. Sometimes they had more money than they knew what to do with. Well, Hana could think of a good way to use that money. Ever heard of charity? That, Hana reasoned, was a much more sensible way of using money than cross-dressing.

A few hours later the bell rang, signaling lunch. Hana silently picked up her books and put them in her locker, which, like everything else in this place, was extravagantly big. It was more of a small city than a school.

Hana was an honor student, here on a scholarship. She'd worked extremely hard to get the grades, and finally, finally, there had been an opening, due to someone leaving halfway through the year. Since it was the second half of the year, Hana had a lot of studies to catch up on. Not to mention that honor students weren't treated very... For lack of a better term, honorably. It was as though this was simply a way of rich people making arrangements and connections with other rich people, and not to get an education. To say the least, Hana was slightly disappointed. But she was here now, and she had to deal with it. Crying and complaining never got anyone anywhere. Hard work and determination did.

"Hi there! Hana, was it?" Haruhi smiled, "I'm Haruhi! I'm an honor student as well; just thought I'd introduce myself. Anyway, I'm in a bit of a hurry, so I'll see you later?"

"Sure" Hana replied, putting on a polite smile, "I'd love to"

Haruhi nodded and ran off, and Hana decided to skip eating lunch. Her mother had made it, and she knew that her classmates would mock her for it. Still... She'd always loved her mothers home-made bento's...

Hana shook her head, clearing her mind from such thoughts. If she didn't want any more attention than she already had, she had to fly under the radar.

The most interesting event of the day was when she was walking to one of the libraries. She was nearly run over by a stampede of girls from different classes and years, all running towards a music room screaming similar things to do with something called the Host Club. Hana lay on the ground, watching them go, utter shock and surprise on her face.

A girl with fiery red hair walked over and offered Hana her hand, "Come on; get up" she grinned, "It's just the fangirls"

Hana accepted it, then put on the picture perfect face of innocence; a puzzled frown, "Fangirls?" Hana questioned, "What do they have to fangirl over?"

"Didn't you hear them? The Host Club" she answered, and started walking, Hana matching her stride, "Oh, right, you're that honor student. Let me introduce myself. I'm Chris, Christina if you're feeling fancy. Class 2-A, and if you haven't already guessed I'm from America. I'm here on a one-year foreign exchange trip. I've been on so many I can't count how many countries and languages I've learned, so forgive me if I mess up my Japanese, sil vous plait?"

Hana laughed, "French. So you've been to France? And if you don't mind me asking, why have you moved around so much? It seems a little difficult"

"Yep, been to France. Specifically, Paris. Oh, and I don't mind. I move around because my father is constantly moving. He doesn't stay in one place for too long, and as part of my training for the day when I take over the company I move with him" She explained, "I don't care that much. I know a lot of girls in this school would disagree with me, but I believe the most important part of school is an education, not socialization. I know socialization is the point of this school, but I came here for a year to study. But then again, branding out my contacts with future heirs and heiresses isn't a bad idea" she laughed abruptly, "Sorry, I got carried away. I must be boring you"

"No, please continue" Hana requested, and the sincerity in her voice must have reached Chris, "Honestly, I've had to be polite to all the people in this school because I know they're rich enough to kill me and hide my body; but I think there's just not enough learning happening. Coming from a poor family, the only way I can support them is by doing my absolute best, you know?"

"I do" Chris agreed, "Take the Host Club, for example. It's the place, '_Where rich boys with too much time on their hands flirt with girls who have too much time in their hands_'" she did the universal air quotes sign, "Their motto is something similar. Basically, they eat cake, drink tea, somehow not get diabetes, and break girls hearts. And to think their other motto is that they, '_Want to make girls happy_!' The hypocrites!"

"How many mottos do they have?" Hana wondered, "I can't judge them without meeting them, but they sound terrible"

"You have _no_ idea" Chris said eagerly, and she began to fill Hana in on all the schools gossip. Eventually, she realized that Hana had no lunch.

"Hey, where's your lunch?" She inquired, dragging Hana to what she supposed was the cafeteria, only it was a lot more refined than that, "If you want, I'll pay, it's fine"

"No, it's not that..." Hana trailed off, "I have a bento"

"Let's go get it then! Lunch is almost over!" Chris said, and Hana nodded, feeling slightly unsure. They walked over to Hana's locker, and Hana took out her bento. It looked cheap, but tasted amazing.

"Hey, can I try that?" Chris asked, interested, "If you don't mind"

"Sure" Hana said, then offered her some. Chris ate it, and then Hana grinned at Chris' shocked expression, "Good, huh?"

"We are so trading lunches from now on" Chris squealed, then calmed herself, "Hell, I miss America. Everyone is so serious in Japan"

"Serious?" Hana frowned, "I suppose compared to someone else we might seem like that... To me, we just seem cultural and slightly strict. Serious implies we have no humor"

"Hmm" Chris mused, then shook her head and laughed, "Anyway, we're getting way too racist way too fast"

"A minor amount of racism is good" Hana shrugged, "Too much is unnecessary, but a small amount of racism allows people to stay true to their roots. If England didn't judge anyone who came into their country they'd lose that stereotypical British accent. Sure, in theory no racism sounds great, but in the end we all have different personalities with different beliefs, and trying to merge as one is never going to work. People have tried to force their beliefs onto someone else and look where they turned out. Fights and arguments and god knows what else"

"I went to Britain once" Chris smiled fondly, "But that's not the point here. I have to say, I agree with you, but the thought of being racist to keep our identity? Being mean to keep your identity? It just seems really weird and really selfish to me. But hey, who am I to judge? For now, give me more of that bento" her eyes sparkled and Hana laughed, letting her have some more, deciding to drop the argument for now. It was nice to talk to someone, Hana thought, to let them know her opinions on things. True, maybe it wasn't the best friendship, or the most recommended, but it was something Hana was going to treasure.

The bell for the end of lunch rang, and both Hana and Chris wolfed down the food. They both moaned about their upset stomachs then laughed at the idiocy of what they'd just done. They both went to their different classes. Hana expected herself to feel a little weird out since Chris wasn't in her year, but she hadn't. After all, many people from many different years mingled in this school. Business, as usual.

The last two lessons of the day were... Mathematics, Hana's worst subject. Inwardly groaning, she trudged to class. She was faced with an interesting dilemma when she arrived; where to sit? Luckily, she was saved by the lovely cross-dresser by the name of Haruhi, whom Hana suspected, that the class didn't know her true gender. That puzzled Hana, but she wasn't one to point out the elephant in room, especially in a place like this. Because just as she'd said to Chris, these people were definitely rich enough to kill her and hide the evidence, so she'd best be on their good sides. And anyway, like Chris said, it wouldn't hurt to make contacts with a few people, but Hana wasn't too fussed about that. She just needed to focus on getting good grades and a good job. It's what she had focused on for the past years of her life, and most likely what she'd continue to focus on.

Unfortunately, her maths teacher did not know what he was doing. He knew the subject well enough, and he definitely knew the formulae, but what he lacked was the necessary skill of teaching. In a place as fancy as this, you'd think that at least their maths teachers would be semi-decent. Hana sighed. It was going to be a half-year of trying to solve the problems on her own, which was fine and all, but what she lacked was time. Between her part-time jobs and doing the house-hold chores, she didn't think she be getting any sleep at all.

You see, Hana struggled with studies, even more so than the average student. Ironically, her classmates could easily do what would take her hours to accomplish if they were motivated. Motivation, Hana had in large quantities, but talent? That was rare for her. But she needed talent, and since she didn't have it, motivation stepped in. At least motivation ensured that she'd be able to support her family, whereas talent would make her rich. And wealth, she reflected, glancing at her classmates, wasn't something she desired in enormous quantities. No, Hana just wanted a simple life where bills were not an issue.

But that isn't to say that Hana wasn't intelligent. She was; just not when it came to idiotic maths problems. Whilst Hana had to study to solve, 'What is x in this equation?' She could easily figure out, without having to confirm, how to heal a basic wound or do a particular self-defense maneuver. Street smart, she'd liked to think of herself, not book smart.

The school-day ended without much of a hitch, unless you count the abnormally large amount of maths homework for the first day back from the holidays.

Hana quickly packed her books away, left the school, and walked over to the cafe where she worked part time, barely making it.

"You're late" her boss, Misaki, scolded, "Care to tell me why?"

"I'm going to a new school, remember? Hana reminded her, "So do you think we can move my shift up a little?"

"Hmm. I'll think about it, but for now, customers are waiting" she replied, throwing Hana an apron. She caught it, put it on, and began to work.

Three hours later it was eight thirty, Hana's usual finishing time. She took out her contacts and slipped her glasses back on. They blocked her violet eyes, as usual, and then she tied her hair back. She preferred this look-it was more comfortable- but Misaki said she'd attract much more customers if she looked visually appealing.

As uncomfortable as it was, Hana had grown accustomed to it, and even she'd had to admit that she did look good when her hair was done and glasses were off. But she didn't want people flocking to her because of her beauty, so she always kept them on.

"Alright Misaki" Hana said, "I'm going home. Is there anything I need to do?"

"Nope. Here's your pay, thanks for all the hard work you out into today. As for your shift, I can only move it up a half hour. That okay?" Misaki said, handing Hana the money. Misaki paid her weekly.

"Perfect" Hana said, relieved, "Thanks Misaki. Anyway, I'll be going"

"Be safe on the walk home" Misaki replied, "The nights aren't as safe as they used to be"

"I will" Hana promised, then left the cafe. The journey home was rather uneventful as Hana stuck to the main paths. When she reached the cheap, three bedroom apartment she, her mother and her younger sister shared, she used the spare key her mother had entrusted her with and entered.

Her exhausted mother looked up from the main room when Hana walked in, "How are you Hana?" She asked, "How was your day?"

"Mother? You're home early" Hana frowned, "And as for my day, it was pretty interesting. Well, as interesting as first days at a private school as an honor student are"

Her mother chuckled weakly, "I can imagine"


	3. A day at the park

**A/N Sorry about the wait! Hope you enjoy, even though it's still familiarizing you with Hana. Next chapter she and Kyoya meet, so please, don't kill me!**

Chapter 2-

The rest of the week was a little too dull to comment about. Hana settled into her classes fine; she was the quiet, invisible honor student. She and Haruhi spoke a few more times, and she learned that along with Hikaru, Kaoru and a few others, Haruhi was part of the infamous Host Club.

Hana had a special type of hatred for them. Whenever she went into the bathroom, there was a girl sobbing over the Host Club, with her friends attempting to comfort her. Apparently the self-appointed leader, Tamaki Suoh, or the King as he had them calling him, had nearly hit her because she'd spilt some tea on Haruhi. Hana had walked past, eyes narrowing in anger. Just who did the Host Club think they were!?

Nonetheless, today was Sunday, and Hana had planned on studying, then going to work. But the days plans had changed, due to the adorable, eight-year old, brunette staring up at her with wide eyes. Her sister, Sakura.

"Sis" she pleaded, "Please play with me. Can we go to the park?"

"Sakura" Hana sighed, "I can't, today I have to study..." Her voice trailed off when Sakura widened her eyes, letting Hana see her golden brown orbs. She sighed again, "Fine, but only for half an hour, okay?"

"Yay!" Sakura exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

"You're eight years old" Hana reminded Sakura, "So why do you still act like you're five?"

"Cause it's fun!" She cheered, "I'm going to the park!"

"Not in your pajamas, you aren't" Hana smirked, the pointed to the room she and her sister shared, "Go get dressed"

"Kay!" She sang, following Hana's pointed finger into the bedroom. Hana inwardly shook her head. She wouldn't be able to study at the park, especially if she was taking her sister. Sakura was an energetic little girl; if you took her eyes off of her for one second, she'd be in all sorts of trouble.

Sakura came out of the bedroom as Hana put on her contacts on and untied her hair. At Sakura's questioning look, she said, "I'm going to work after we go to the park, and my hair takes forever to get straight" she grimaced as she pulled a brush through her tangled hair. She had to look the part to keep her job as a waitress.

"But isn't work not for hours, sis?" Sakura asked, "And I thought we were only going for half an hour?"

"Yes, we are" Hana answered, "But like I said, my hair takes a while to get into place, and I need to get comfortable with my hair down and no glasses"

"Oh, okay" Sakura didn't sound like she understood, but had given up asking because the prospect of the park was too exciting to miss, "So, are we going?"

"Yeah, let's go" Hana smiled at her younger sister.

They walked to the nearby park; it only took twenty minutes. Considering that walking with Sakura meant frequent stops, this was an achievement.

When they reached the park Sakura ran straight to the sandpit, "Let's build a sandcastle!" She exclaimed, tugging Hana's sleeve, "C'mon Hana! You're so slow!"

Hana decided to just enjoy the visit. Silly as she felt, being a sixteen year old playing with someone half her age, acting moody and grumpy wasn't going to change the fact that she was here. Besides, being grumpy would ruin Sakura's happiness, and Sakura's optimism and cheerfulness was what made Hana do what she had to do. Hana filled in for their absentee mother and did her best to replace their father, and that was all for Sakura.

Speaking of her absentee mother... She hadn't been herself recently. Their mother worked very hard for them, both Sakura and Hana knew that, but recently she'd begun to look even more tired. Hana had been making sure their mother had been eating and sleeping well, so the only factor left could be stress. But why was her mother stressful? Hana wondered and wondered, but couldn't think of anything. Shouldn't her mother should be relaxed? Her eldest daughter had managed to get a scholarship at a rich school, and didn't that show that Hana was responsible and could one day get a well-paying job?

"Ha-na!" Sakura sang her name, "Stop day dreaming! We need to make the sandcastle!"

"You're right; sorry Sakura" Hana apologized, and started moving sand into a pile of which she hoped looked reminiscent of a castle. Sakura seemed pleased, so she must've been doing something right.

"Is that you Hana?" A familiar voice inquired. Hana whipped around to see Haruhi's smiling face, "Oh, it is! I didn't recognize you with your hair like that!"

"Haruhi..?" Hana wondered, then shook her head and held up a hand, befuddled, "I'm sorry; I'm going to ask a personal question. Do you or do you not cross-dress?"

Haruhi was wearing a dress, which she tugged at self-consciously, "Which gender do you think I am?"

"Female"

Haruhi's eyes widened, "You're right; good guess! As for the reason why, I don't usually cross-dress; just at school. Here, let me tell you the whole story, but first, who's this cutie?"

"I'm Sakura" Sakura introduced, smiling cheerily, "Will you help us make sandcastles?"

"Sure!" Haruhi grinned.

While they messed around in the sandpit, Haruhi told her the story about why she cross-dressed. Apparently, the Host Club had forced her into it after she'd broken an expensive vase- rich people, they'd both sighed- and had long since paid the debt but still worked there for the money, and for the company(which Hana doubted was fun, but Haruhi insisted that the company and friendship of the Host Club was great). Apparently while it wasn't the most ideal job, it was entertaining, and Haruhi had made good friends in the club, and was dating the self-proclaimed king, Tamaki Suoh.

"Can I play, too?" A shy girl with long purple hair walked over to them. She looked to be about Sakura's age, "It looks fun"

"I'm Sakura. What's your name?" Sakura asked.

"Tomoyo"

"Tomoyo, will you help us make sandcastles?"

"Okay" she agreed, giving a hesitant smile, then began to sit next to Sakura and help with the rather large sandcastle they'd created. Haruhi and Hana made eye contact and both smiled. It was too adorable for words.

"Oh, by the way" Haruhi said, sounding guilty, "I told Tamaki that I'd be coming here today; if I didn't, he'd probably worry"

"Sounds clingy. What's the problem?"

"Wherever I go, for some reason, the Host Club follows"

Hana closed her eyes and exhaled, "Oh, great... Anyway, it doesn't mater. Sakura and I will be going soon; we only were going to stay for half an hour"

"Aawww, sis, can we stay longer?" Sakura pleaded, "I just met Tomoyo!"

"No" Hana said sternly, "I have to study, and then I have to work"

"Okay" Sakura accepted glumly.

"Hey Hana, sorry for asking, but why is your hair down?" Haruhi inquired, "I'm so familiar with it being in braids. And where'd your glasses go?"

"Sis likes to look pretty for her job, right sis?" Sakura chimed, and Hana groaned.

"That makes it sound like my job is indecent. No, it's just waitressing, but a nerdy girl doesn't attract customers" Hana explained, "After all, it's business"

"You remind me of someone" Haruhi said, smirking, "He's really selfish, greedy, but has his moments where he can be kind. He rarely does anything that doesn't benefit him"

"Sounds nothing like me" Hana frowned, "Since me and Sakura aren't exactly wealthy, I've had to sacrifice a lot. If I'm selfish, it's so I can keep my family alive"

"You still remind me of him" Haruhi said, then shook her head, as if shaking the thought away, "Anyway guys, I think the sandcastle is just about done. How about I take a photo of everyone, and the we go on the slide?"

"Sure!" Tomoyo beamed. She'd really come out of her shell after spending some time with Sakura.

"You get in the picture too" Hana scolded, wagging her finger at Haruhi, then walked over to one of the mothers, "Excuse me, but would you mind taking a picture of us?"

"That's fine. Also, if you didn't notice, I'm Tomoyo's mother. Thank you for taking care of her; sometimes it seems she's so shy she can't make any friends" the woman smiled, and now that she'd said it, Hana realized she did resemble Tomoyo.

"Don't worry about it. Having Tomoyo around was really fun!" Hana replied, "She was a little shy, but she came out of her shell in no time"

"That's good to hear" the woman said, obviously relieved.

They all posed around the sandcastle, Sakura and Tomoyo in the front, both doing the peace sign with one hand, their free hands linked. Hana and Haruhi kneeled at the back, Haruhi slinging an arm around Hana's shoulder.

"Three, two one" Tomoyo's mother said, using Haruhi's smart phone (a present from the Host Club) as a camera, "Say cheese!"

"Cheese!" Sakura and Tomoyo chorused, and Hana and Haruhi stayed silent. They'd outgrown the whole, '_Cheese_!' Thing. The woman took a few photos then handed the phone back to Haruhi. After looking at the photos and evaluating them, Haruhi put her phone away. Sakura and Tomoyo ran off to the next thing they wanted to do and Hana and Haruhi ran after them, laughing at their enthusiasm.

"Sakura, we have to go" Hana called, after Sakura and Tomoyo had done nearly everything in the park. An hour had passed, "We've stayed for way too long"

"Okay, sis" Sakura said, then turned and hugged Tomoyo. Hana smiled fondly at her younger sister, who was much more sociable and trusting than Hana could ever be, "Bye Tomoyo! Let's play again soon!"

"Yeah!" Tomoyo said, then broke off the hug and turned to her mother, "Please mummy?"

"I'm sure we can arrange something" the mother said, looking at Hana who nodded her approval.

"Our mother is very busy, so Sakura could do with an, 'Auntie'"

Tomoyo's mother knew what Hana was implying. In short, Hana wanted her to be a mother figure in Sakura's life, "Of course! How about next Saturday? Sakura can come over to our place an play, wouldn't you like that Tomoyo?"

"Thank you mummy!"

"I'm surprised the Host Club hadn't shown up yet" Haruhi said, glancing around, "It's weird"

"It's a miracle if you ask me" Hana muttered, then grasped Sakura's hand, "Anyway, we're going now. Bye Haruhi"

They all said their final good-byes and Hana started to walk with Sakura back to their apartment, listening to Sakura chatter the entire way. She'd needed today, Hana reflected. It had been hard trying to adapt to the new school and stress had been beating her down. But after seeing her sisters smiling face Hana felt refreshed. She'd do anything for her little sister.

A few days later

"Oh, it looks like Haruhi forgot her phone" Kyoya noted. It was the end of the school day and he had been managing the days money whilst the others cleaned, "Tamaki, would you give it to her?"

"Hmm? Oh, sure" Tamaki said, grabbing the phone. His finger accidentally pushed the power button, turning on the phone, "Who is this?"

"Who is who?" Kyoya asked, half-paying attention.

"There are three other people with Haruhi in her background photo. It looks pretty recent, too"

"Maybe Haruhi just found some friends" Kaoru suggested, "What's the big deal? It would explain why she's been going home earlier, too"

"Haruhi finally has some female friends!" Tamaki exclaimed, "This is amazing! Now she can finally talk about her feelings to them..."

He continued to ramble utter nonsense that Kyoya didn't bother himself with listening. Instead, Kyoya grabbed the phone and looked at the photo himself, "Tamaki, two of these girls look like they're seven years old. The only one who looks relatively Haruhi's age is this one"

"She looks familiar" Hikaru commented, peering over Kyoya's shoulder, "I swear I've seen her before... Nah, I'd remember someone that good-looking"

"Hikaru, don't hit on Haruhi's friend!" Tamaki ordered, "We don't want to scare her away, especially since I want to meet her!"

"Now that would most definitely scare her away" Kyoya commented dryly, "But he's right, I want to meet her as well"

**A/N Hope you enjoyed! Look forward to the next chapter, Kyoya meets Hana! Finally, am I right? :D I'll post it as soon as I can!**


	4. Meeting the Host Club!

_A/N I'm so sorry for the late update! They should be more frequent from now on, so please, enjoy! _

Chapter 3-

"The Host Club wants to meet you"

This wasn't what Hana was expecting when she'd walked over to Haruhi on Monday morning, a little over a week after she'd run into Haruhi at the park. Hana had been expecting a _'Good morning_', or a _'How are you_?' And possibly even a '_hello_'. She hadn't been expecting a blunt, '_The Host Club wants to meet you'_

But since this was Hana, and not some other fool who wore their emotions on their sleeves, she recovered quickly, delicately arching an eyebrow.

"Good morning to you, too"

"Sorry. It's just that they saw the photos of us at the park and they've been asking about you non-stop since then... I know you don't like them... But they're good people, and even though they're a little annoying-"

"Haruhi, shush" Hana said, cutting of Haruhi's rambling. Haruhi shut up. Hana eyed her now sheepish friend and sighed. _No_ she thought, _I can't go. I won't go. I don't want to go._

_But would it really be that bad? Haruhi's decent, and I haven't met them before. Is it fair of me to judge them before I've met them?_

"Fine" she said finally, "I'll go, if only to prove how terrible they actually are"

Even though Hana's response was negative, Haruhi responded as though Hana had just told her she'd won the lottery, "Yay! Thank you!" She beamed, and then spontaneously crushed. Hana with a hug and let go just as fast, "Sorry. Tamaki just be rubbing off on me"

"So Tamaki randomly hugs people?"

"You have _no_ idea"

* * *

A few hours later, after classes were over and school had ended, Hana and Haruhi were standing outside Music Room Three.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Haruhi asked, always the considerate one, "I don't want you to feel like I've forced you into this"

A little late for that, "I'm fine. To be honest, I've been a little harsh with my judgement of them. After all, I haven't met them"

"That sounded..."

"Uncharacteristically optimistic?" Hana finished.

"I was going to say out of character, but I'll go with yours"

And with this, Haruhi grasped both doorknobs and flung the doors open. Light streamed into the dim corridor, and Hana instinctively closed her eyes. Something brushed across her cheek, and she snatched it from the air. It felt smooth and soft; its scent sweet. Opening her eyes slightly, she realized that it was a rose petal.

"Welcome... To the Host Club!"

Six male voices greeted her as Hana opened her eyes fully, drinking in the sight greedily. Later, she'd be angry about her awe, but right then it was all she could do to stand upright, pride a thing of the past.

"Wait a minute..." Hikaru, one of the orange-haired twins from her class frowned, "You're not the girl from the photo"

His twin, Kaoru, never far behind, held a strand of her hair to the light, "Although you do share some similarities..."

Finally, Hana found her voice, "I am the girl from the photo" she said, gently pushing away Kaoru's hand from her hair. Hadn't they heard of personal space? "I'm Hana Kaneko. Nice to meet you"

"I wish I could say the same to you..."

"Yeah, you're a little underwhelming..."

They shrugged, turning away from her and facing each-other, and uttered their shared judgement, "Bland"

Hana blinked, and then Honey was standing in their place, scolding the twins, "Stop it, Hika-chan, Kao-chan, you're hurting Hana's feelings!" He faced her, gazing up at her with warm eyes the color of sunshine, and said, "I'm Mitsukini Haninozuka! Nice to meet you, Hana!" He pointed to a figure leaning against the wall, "That's Takashi. He's really cuddly once you get to know him!"

As Honey said this, Takashi straightened to his full height, looking very, very intimidating. He nodded at Hana. For some reason, Hana doubted Honeys judgement of him.

"Just call them Honey and Mori. Everyone does" Tamaki walked over to her, and gently raised her hand to his lips. Hana unfamiliar with the gesture, blushed slightly. "I'm Tamaki Suoh, the headmasters son. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hana"

"Likewise" Hmm. So this was Haruhi's boyfriend. He seemed nice. And normal. Not at all like Haruhi described him.

"Wow, Boss is actually acting normal" the twins said, apparently having the same thoughts as Hana, "Just wait until he- seriously!? He couldn't go longer than a minute?"

The cause for their surprise was Tamaki, now standing next to Haruhi and apologizing profusely, "I'm so sorry! We have Hana such a warm welcome and forgot about you! Don't worry, Tamaki will never forget his precious Haruhi!"

Hana bit back a grin as she remembered Haruhi's description of Tamaki.

'_He can be really... Flamboyant, but he means well_' she'd said, '_And no, I've never used that word to describe anyone before. Tamaki is one of a kind'_

"Ah, you must be Hana" she whipped around to find the remaining member of the Host Club, Kyoya giving her a polite smile, "I'm Kyoya Ootori. Now..." He punched some figures into his calculator, "For the Grand Entrance and Warm Welcoming... That will be 15,000 Yen"

Hana miraculously kept her face impassive. 15,000 Yen!? How rich were these people!?

"Although... Since you're Haruhi's friend a discount is required... And also, there is no way you'd be able to afford this... so an alternate method of payment is also required..."

Hana felt anger swirl inside her at his rudeness. How dare he!? She hadn't even wanted to come here, and now she was being charged for it? The anger grew and grew until she could no longer hold it back.

"How do you know?" She snapped.

Kyoya looked up, "Know what?"

"What I can and can't afford. Who are you to tell me?"

"Hana-" Haruhi warned.

Kyoya smiled again, and this time she believed it was genuine. Cold, unfriendly, but genuine, "I'm part of the Ootori family, a family with much more prestige, honor and wealth than your puny mind could comprehend"

"My puny mind can comprehend more than yours can" she spat, "My mind can comprehend manners. When you meet someone for the first time, you are polite. Nice. You don't charge them 15,000 Yen for simply being in your boring presence!"

"My presence boring or otherwise, it seems you are rather defensive. Might it be the mentioning of the payment?"

"Please stop fighting!" Haruhi yelled, running in between them, as though she was trying to block the cruel words each of them were hurling at the other, "Please!"

The harsh retort died on Hana's tongue, "He started it" she muttered sullenly.

"Ooh, fiesty" Hikaru smirked, "I think Hana might be a little interesting after all. Right, Kaoru?"

"Right" Kaoru agreed.

Hana glared at them and they shut up, apparently getting her message loud and clear.

"Kyoya, Hana, please discuss the terms of your payment outside" Tamaki said, and Hana glanced at him in surprise. It wasn't the words, it was the tone. Tamaki said it in such a calm way that Hana felt compelled to listen to him. It was in that moment she realized why he was the leader of the Host Club.

"Agreed" Kyoya nodded, all traces of anger gone from his voice, "Mori, take care of Honey. He seems a little disturbed by us... Voicing our differences" and indeed he did. Honey was hugging his teddy bear close to his chest and shaking like a leaf..

Hana inwardly rolled her eyes. _Voicing our difference_s she thought, _He makes it sound so normal. As if charging someone 15,000 yen for meeting you is normal! This stuck up, arrogant-_

"Follow me" Kyoya said, and without waiting for her or her reply he walked off, leaving Hana struggling to catch up. They left the main area of the Music Room and walked into the back room, where musical instruments sat collecting dust.

"So" Kyoya began, "Let me start by apologizing for my rudeness. I'm sorry, Hana"

_What an abrupt change in attitude. What is up with this guy?_

"Apology accepted" Hana said warily, "And while we're at it, I'm sorry too. For yelling"

He smiled, "Well, this is going fantastically. So, for your debt, what I propose is-"

"Stop" Hana interrupted, "If were going to have this conversation, let's be honest with each other. Don't stand there giving me that fake smile spouting pleasantries. I don't know whether or not you have control over your mood swings, considering you were angry just minutes ago, but please, be honest with me"

Kyoya, to her complete shock, doubled over and laughed. His shoulders shook violently, as though the mere force of the humor in the situation controlled him. Hana stood there, feeling awkward, until he straightened, composed himself, and flashed her a dazzling smile. It was a real smile, and it suited him well. Hana suddenly felt it hard to breathe as she stared straight into his dark eyes.

"Oh, Hana" he grinned, "You amuse me. Mood swings? I thought I was being polite"

Hana looked down, cheeks slightly tinged pink as he continued, "I must say, that was an impressive rant. And that makes me much more certain in asking you this. Will you go on a date with me?"

Hana's jaw dropped, '_A what!?_'

He extended an arm and gently shut her jaw, "You see, Hana, I am the third son of the Ootori family, as well as the most ambitious. In order to be the most successful, I must prove to my father that I excel in all areas. And he has told me that I excel in every area but being social"

"So..."

"So I must prove to him that I can have a relationship that is not related to business, or at least, make him think that"

Understanding dawned, "You want to date me to prove to him that money and status doesn't matter to your... Socialness"

"An excellent choice of wording there. I don't believe I've ever heard the word 'socialness' used before. But yes, you have understood the gist of it. Don't think I'm choosing you for any special reason; I'm not. But your debt is an opportunity, and I intend to use it well. Do you accept?"

'_Do I accept_?' Hana thought, still partly in shock, '_I just met you! And now you want me to pretend to date you so that you can fool your father? And I'm supposed to agree because of a debt!?_

_Although... What if I add my own conditions? What if I benefit from this as well? Dating Kyoya isn't exactly what I want to do with my life, but...'_

"There isn't anyway around this?"

"None whatsoever"

Hana took a deep breath, "Fine. For a month. That's more than enough for 15,000 Yen, so I want an extra 10,000 Yen afterwards. Do you accept my proposal?"

"Quite the businesswoman, aren't you? But 10,000 Yen is nothing to me, so we are in agreement. Thank you Hana. I look forward to doing business with you"

With that, he left the room, leaving Hana with the dusty instruments and her thoughts.

"Okay" she said to herself, "So that happened"

* * *

That night, as Hana was trying to sleep, her brain continuously recounting the events of that day. Growling in annoyance, she rolled over.

'_A month. I agreed, to date that stuck-up arrogant guy for a month. The money would be great and all... Ugh. If I don't go insane during this month, it'll be a miracle. No use thinking about it anyway, it'll just give me nightmares...'_

But try as she might, Hana couldn't rid her mind of the sound of Kyoya's laugh, or the glimmer in his eyes as he gave her a real smile.

A/N And that's that! Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review, and thanks to those who've already reviewed! I apologize again for the lateness, and I know this chapter isn't top quality, but hopefully that'll improve in the next few, when I can really get back into it. see you again in the next chapter!


	5. The Lost Kitten!

**A/N Alright! Here's chapter 4! Also, word of warning, some of language used in this isn't exactly for children. There's no swearing, but some pretty foul language came out of Kaoru and Hikaru in this chapter. I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again. Sorry! So please, if it offends you, just skip it. It's not really plot sensitive.**

Chapter 4-

Hana was walking Sakura to school when it happened.

"Aw, sis, look, it's a kitten!" Sakura yelped, running over to a box near a popular cafe, "Can we keep her?"

A tiny, fluffy kitten with wide, jade green eyes and grey silken fur stared at them hopefully from its cardboard cage. The box was too high for the kitten to scramble out of, and it had long since abandoned trying.

"It says that the owner can't take care of it anymore. On the sign" Sakura added helpfully, pointing to a piece of paper taped to the box. It read, '_Please take good care of him, for I can no longer do so'_

"Sakura..." Hana sighed, "We've been over this. Our apartment doesn't allow pets"

At the reminder, Sakura's face fell, "But... But we can't just leave her here!"

"I'm pretty sure it's a boy Sakura. And we can leave it here, because someone else will take it. C'mon, we've gotta get to school"

"Fine, but can we wait a few minutes? Just to make sure it finds a new owner?"

Hana flipped open her phone, checking the time. They still had a few minutes.

"Sure, for a little while" Hana agreed, "Let's go and wait somewhere else. People will think we're the kittens owners if we wait here"

"Kay!"

They waited ten minutes, ignorant to Hana's complaints. During this, some people came and read the note, but left the kitten there. Hana knew that they were having the same thoughts that she had. 'Too much trouble to deal with right now'

And oddly... Hana felt something. Angry? Protective? Hana frowned slightly, focusing... Then realized she felt sympathetic. She too had been abandoned. By her and Sakura's father.

Hana forced the thoughts away with a vengeance. Thinking about her father would put her in a foul mood, and she wouldn't let him have control over her life anymore.

"You know what Sakura? I think we'll keep him after all" Hana announced, "He needs a name, right? What should we call him?"

Sakura beamed, and began chattering excitedly, "I like Silk, because his fur's so smooth! Or Milk, or maybe Cream..."

She rattled off names, each as ridiculous as the next, leaving Hana to privately asses her latest action.

'_Why did I do that?_' She wondered as she dragged Sakura to school, box in hand, '_I mean, it's just an abandoned kitten. These things are pretty common, especially if the owner can't take care of all their cats litter'_

'_But then again, it's not like I could just leave it there to die... I'll think of something. For now, what the heck do kittens eat?'_

* * *

"You know, if you're going to be my future girlfriend, you probably shouldn't study books on... Cat well being?" Kyoya suggested as he pulled out a chair and sat beside her on the library table at the back of the room, secluded from other students view.

She sighed, "Don't ask"

"And yet I will"

She sighed again, "Sakura found an abandoned kitten this morning. And even though our apartment doesn't allow pets, I still said yes"

Ever since her and Kyoya's... Arrangement, he'd made an effort to get to know her- in the public eye of course, so word would reach his father- which was why on Thursday, three days after Hana's meeting of the Host Club, it surprised her that Kyoya had chosen then to start a conversation, since she was in the most deserted part of the most deserted library of Ouran Academy.

Things between her and Kyoya were... Tense, but better than when they'd first met. Yes, he was arrogant, yes, he was self serving, but then he could be sarcastically witty, and sometimes it felt as though they could bicker and banter for hours. But then there were those small acts of kindness he did, which made Hana think that maybe Kyoya Ootori wasn't as bad as she'd first thought.

Not that she'd ever admit it.

"So where's the kitten now?" He asked, absent-mindedly leaving through one of the books.

"With Sakura. I told her to take it to class with her and see if she could find another owner for it"

"So you're not keeping it"

"No... It's just... too much trouble, and as you can see I don't know the first thing about taking care of a kitten"

He nodded, "Is there any reason you're not using the internet?"

She gave him a wry smile, "All the computers are taken, and I don't have a phone that can connect to the internet"

He sighed, "What am I going to do with you?"

She ignored him, and his rhetorical question, and after a few seconds a phone was placed in front of her. Glancing up in shock, she met his dark eyes.

"Here, use this. Return it to me after school, at the music room. There's something I need you to do, anyway"

He walked off, leaving Hana in complete shock. Had Kyoya just lent her his phone? Had Kyoya just been nice? Had he and Hana just had a whole conversation without arguing or insulting each other?

"No" she murmured, "Maybe Kyoya isn't that bad at all"

* * *

After school, Hana wandered over to Music Room Three, wondering what Kyoya needed her help with. Pushing open the double doors, she squinted as she tried to accustom herself to the bright light.

"Hana-chan!" Honey sang, running over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, "Do you wanna come eat cake with me? We have two kinds; the strawberry and the chocolate! I ate all the other ones... But they were really good!"

"No thanks, Honey" Hana said, giving Honey an affectionate pat on the head, "I'm looking for Kyoya. Is he around?"

"Kyoya's in there" The twins, appearing from nowhere, pointed to a room, "Also, why do you wear your hair like that? You'd look so much better with it down"

Hana knew by now that the twins didn't mean her offense- not really. Since their mother was a world famous-famous fashion designer, they were accustomed to saying what they thought of others appearance with no regard to said others feelings. To be honest, Hana never wanted to ask them the question '_Do I look fat in this?'_ because the twins would give her a long detailed response as to why she did. Not that Hana would be so vain as to ask that question, of course.

"I only wear it down when I'm working"

"So what are you then, a prostitute?"

"Dearest Hana!" Tamaki gasped, rushing over to her and grabbing her shoulders, "You must not allow yourself to fall into such a treacherous trap! I understand that you are poor, but becoming a prostitute is-"

"Who's become a prostitute?" Kyoya asked, mildly interested.

"I'm not a prostitute!" Hana said exasperatedly, "I just work at a cafe"

"A brothel" Hikaru and Kaoru nodded to each-other, as though this made perfect sense. Hana gave up then, not even bothering to explain.

"Takashi, what's a prostitute and a brothel?" Honey asked, innocence written all over his face.

"Not now, Mitsukini" Mori said quietly, then shot them all a fierce a glare. Everyone immediately shut up.

"Right. No foul language around Honey. Got it" The twins said, hands raised in surrender, hesitant smiles on their faces, "Oh look, time to go. Bye!"

And with that, they ran off somewhere, most likely to find Haruhi. A heartbeat later, Honey climbed on Mori's shoulders and they wandered off as well, most likely to go eat cake.

Looking at Tamaki's concerned face, Hana gave him an easy smile, "I'm not a prostitute, I promise"

"I would hope not" Kyoya said dryly, "Anyway, Hana, come with me"

They walked over to the large dining table and sat down. Hana passed Kyoya his phone and Kyoya nodded his thanks.

"So what did you need me for?"

"Your opinion. If there's one thing that I can rely on, Hana, it's your honesty. Tamaki has decided that because it's summer, we need to run the Host Club at the beach. But because Haruhi doesn't have a passport, we can't leave the country"

He tapped a few locations on the map in front of him, "These are all private beaches owned either by my family or my family's friends. This one here" he indicated it, "is known for its wildlife, and this one..."

He continued to explain the four beaches, giving a brief and concise explanation of each one. They listed all the possible pro's and cons, and eventually decided on a beach that starred friendly wildlife, so that Tamaki would get his animal fix and be safe whilst he did it.

"Thank you, Hana" Kyoya said, and Hana hid her wariness. Was he being sincere, or fooling her? "Also" he continued, "Would you like to accompany us? Of course, since Saturday was our assigned first date we could kill two birds with one stone and make it our date as well"

It was a no-brainer. At the beach with the Host Club, Kyoya would have his hands full, which meant that she wouldn't have to spend much time with them. After all whilst he may have grown on her slightly, Hana would still rather chop off her own arm than be with Kyoya alone.

"Sure" Hana said, packing her things up as she got ready to leave, "Anyway, I've still got to figure out what to do with the kitten"

"Would you like for it to stay at my place?" Kyoya offered, and Hana met his dark eyes in shock. Today, he seemed to be full of surprises, "Of course, the maids would raise it, and only until it would be old enough to attend a cat cafe"

Cat cafés were very popular in Japan. Usually at an hourly fee patrons would be able to play with some cats. It is so widely appreciated because most apartments, like Hana's, don't allow pets, and so the patrons could enjoy the feel of having pet without actually having a pet. And sometimes, in these cafés, they accepted stray cats, usually to give to the nearest shelter or to raise as one of the cafés cats. Hana was sure someone like Kyoya could pull some strings and get it into one of the cafés.

Hana felt her eyes widen. After a moment of shocked silence, she stuttered, "Please. Th-thanks!... I don't know what else I'd do..."

"Don't worry about it" Kyoya smiled, and Hana felt her heart race and her breath catch, "Well, see you on Saturday"

"See you" Hana agreed, still in shock, and left the Music Room feeling as though she'd just seen a miracle. And in a way, she had.

'_Kyoya must be in a good mood today_' she reflected, '_Still... Wow. Maybe I judged Kyoya a little too harshly. I mean, he must've been raised like a prince his entire life, of course he's going to be a little arrogant... But maybe, just maybe, there's a nice guy hidden under all that coldness'_

Smiling to herself, she left the school, to pick up Sakura and to tell her the good news.

**A/N For those of you who are about to start telling me that Kyoya is out of character, he isn't. It's all part of my master plan... Oh, just you wait!**

**Once again, sorry about Kaoru and Hikaru. Hopefully it won't happen again. I'll certainly try my best to not let it happen again, but to me it felt like something they'd say 'shrugs' anyway, hope you enjoyed regardless! Next chapter should be soon. A day at the beach with the Host Club! I wonder what will happen?**


	6. A day at the beach

_A/N - I had major writers block, and I'm so, so so sorry for the lateness of this chapter! I hope you enjoy this as an apology :D _

Chapter 5-

Hana stepped out of the limousine. Kyoya, in full chivalry mode due to all the Host Club fans watching from afar, had opened her door and was now extending a hand to her, a gentle smile on his face. Even though Hana wanted to scream at his act, she smiled gratefully, accepting his hand as he pulled her out. What she saw straight after, though, erased any form of bitterness lurking within her.

Pristine white sand stretched out in front of her ruined only by natural rock formations that dotted it. Endless blue sea sparkled under the suns approving rays and Hana felt a small smile creep up on her face, tugging her lips and lighting her eyes.

Kyoya eyed her, an amused grin on his face, "You are so easily impressed"

Hana snapped out of her daze, "I am?"

"There are much larger beaches in the world" he said, sweeping his arms out wide, "This is only the tip of the iceberg"

"That's fine; I've never liked the cold" Hana grinned, "Or icebergs"

He shook his head, and Hana saw his lips twitch, as though he was fighting back a smile. Her heart leaped and Hana beat it back down with a giant mental stick. Walking away from Kyoya, she joined Haruhi, who was narrowly dodging the twins efforts to get her into a swimsuit. A very revealing swimsuit.

"Haruuuuhi" Hikaru said, "Look what I found!"

"You didn't find it; you brought it all the way from your house" Haruhi grumbled.

"For all you know, I could've found this in the sand" Hikaru said haughtily.

"No, you didn't, you told me in the plane that you'd brought it all the way from your house, because you thought it would make me wear it"

"Hikaru! Stop harassing Haruhi!" Tamaki hollered, running over to Hikaru, "Tama-chan, kick!"

He lunged, forming an impressive maneuver as he attempted to kick Hikaru. Just as he was about to make impact, Hikaru stepped aside slightly, and Tamaki went sailing right into Mori, who stood still, as though he were made of stone.

"Ow!" Tamaki cried out, clutching his foot, hopping around like a madman, "Mori's like a brick wall!"

"The boss is so hopeless" Kaoru and Hikaru sighed, giving a united shrug.

"Are we going to the beach?" Hana asked, "I mean, we didn't come up here to practice our comedy routine, did we?"

"Ha-ha" Kaoru grumbled, "But I think we're going as soon as Kyoya finished bringing the luggage"

"Luggage?" Hana asked, "Why would we need luggage, we're only going to the be-"

"Yes, please put the life-size model of a pirate ship over there" Kyoya said, writing on his clipboard, "As for the pirate costumes, please put them-"

"What!?" Hana demanded, overhearing, "Why do we need a life-size model of a pirate ship?"

"Well, because our king, Tamaki, decided that a regular trip to the beach was too boring" Kyoya replied, "Also, Hana, please, don't question the Host Club's methods. The guests are watching"

Meaning, _Shut up otherwise they'll guess we're not actually a couple. And since I'm so devoted to world domination by pretending to date you, you'd better shut the hell up._

Maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, Hana reflected. Still, sometimes it seemed that Kyoya would do anything for his fathers praise and companies.

"It surprised me, too" Haruhi said sympathetically, "But when you've been to the beach with the Host Club, this is sort of normal"

"A life-size boat is normal?"

"Obviously" The twins chimed in, giving her withering looks, "If it wasn't life sized, then what size would it be?"

"Of course!" Tamaki cut in, apparently recovered from his earlier incident, "Here at the Host Club, we strive for authenticity. Isn't that right, ladies?" He asked, giving them a wink.

"Kyaaaah!"

"We love you, Tamaki!"

"I- I love Hikaru!"

"You're so cute!"

The screams seemed to reach a higher pitch than what it usually expected from human beings. Haruhi grabbed her arm, said something that Hana didn't hear, then tugged her away from the others, guiding her down to the beach.

"If they see me going, they'll hurry up!" Haruhi called, "Benefits of being Tamaki's girlfriend"

"There are benefits?"

But sure enough, Tamaki chased his beloved Haruhi, dragging the crowd and the other Hosts with him as he did. Also, apparently Kyoya was done with his business, because he followed behind them all at a leisurely pace.

"So Haruhi, Hana" Hikaru and Kaoru said, "What should we do now?"

"Anything but swimming" Haruhi and Hana chorused, grinning as they realized they'd said the exact same thing.

"But that's so boring!" Kaoru protested, "Why do you go to a beach if you're not going to swim?"

"I don't know" Hana said, "Maybe because there's a pirate ship?" And I can't swim, she added silently.

"Lame" The twins huffed, then stalked over to Tamaki, "Hey Boss, wanna go swimming?"

"What have you got in your bag?" Haruhi asked, "It looks heavy"

"Books" Hana replied, "My sister hasn't let me study for ages. She even wanted to come with me today, but I said no. Have you done that maths assignment?"

"The one he gave on Thursday?" Haruhi confirmed, and Hana nodded, "Yeah. I can roughly remember the answers, but I didn't do the homework. I made Kyoya do it"

"You made _Kyoya_ do it?"

"I asked Tamaki to pester him until he gave in. Want me to get to him to do your work?"

Hana considered, "Nah, he'd probably add it to the list of favors I owe him or something. I'll work on it over there; maybe I'll actually get some peace"

"I know" Haruhi winced, "You get used to their screaming, after a while. Fangirls are like a fungus. They grow on you"

Hana smiled wryly, "Fungus or not, why are they so excited? I mean, they must've seen good-looking rich guys their entire life, right?"

"Funny that, actually" Haruhi said, as they stuck the beach umbrella in the ground and placed a mat under it, Hana dropping her ridiculously heavy bag as they sat, "I heard from a fangirl that even though they're rich, most of them lived really secluded lives. They've always had to behave in business meetings when they'd want to, I don't know, go shopping or something. She said that the Host Club was the only place where she could really let go and have fun, even if at times it was a little silly"

"Really"

"Mm. While Tamaki wastes his time flirting, I generally use it to try and get to know them better"

"Huh" Hana said. They fell into comfortable silence, and then she said, "So why don't you want to go swimming?"

"Don't want to reveal my cross-dressing nature. You?"

"Can't swim"

"Ah"

Hana took out her maths textbook, flipped it open, then took out her exercise book. She started working, but after a few minutes she threw her pen down in frustration. Heat and noise had finally gotten to her.

"Someone's angry" Kyoya said, and Hana's neck snapped up in surprise. She hadn't heard him approach, and, she realized, as she stared at the empty spot beside her, she hadn't heard Haruhi leave, either.

"Not really" she said, "Just irritated. They're so loud, and this heat... I can't focus"

"Which is why it's called a holiday" he smiled, offering her a hand, "C'mon. You need to relax"

"Look who's talking" she scoffed, "Anyway... I can't. I really need to do this today"

He was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll make you a deal"

"Not again" Hana groaned.

"If you come with me now and enjoy your time at the beach" he continued, as though she hadn't interrupted him, "I'll tutor you. And I'm an excellent tutor"

"Every time you say something, it always surprises me of how arrogant it is" Hana said, accepting his hand as he pulled her up.

"I'm tutoring you, Hana. For free. It would be wise to stay quiet"

"Noted"

They started walking, "So what are we doing?" Hana asked, "Just don't make it swimming because-"

"-You can't swim" Kyoya finished, "I know. Which is why I bought a pirate ship"

Hana frowned, equally surprised on how he knew that she couldn't swim and why he'd bought the ship, "I thought that was for Tamaki?"

"It is. But I may have slipped a comic about pirates onto his desk"

Hana stopped walking, and stared at him, "You bought me a boat?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I bought it directly for you-"

"You bought me a boat!"

"It wasn't only for you, Tamaki wanted-"

"You bought me a boat!?"

He sighed, meeting her eyes with his dark ones, "Yes, Hana, I bought you a boat"

Hana let a giant grin take over her face, "A boat, Kyoya"

"At least I know what to get you for your birthday. When is it?"

"Two months from now"

They walked over to the boat, where all of the Host Club minus Tamaki (Who was busy sitting on a rock and flirting with the girls in his, 'Private Tamaki Time' package which wasn't really private at all) It was during then, when Hana realized that she was actually having a good time. The strong personalities of everyone in the Host Club amused her, and the banter with Kyoya had made sure she'd used up her share of witty comments for that day. All was right with the world.

Once on the boat, they had to narrowly dodge a sword fight between Hikaru and Kaoru (which were real but blunt; since the Host Club strived for authenticity) who were both dressed in pirate costumes. As Hana ducked, Hikaru's sword slipped, nicking Kaoru's hand.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru cried out, clasping his brothers wounded hand in his own, "Are you alright? I didn't mean to hurt you, Kaoru!"

Nearby, the Host Club fangirls were watching the scene with unabashed interest. They were all leaning forward, and Hana fancied that she could see drool leaking out of their mouths as their star struck eyes took in the scene in front of them.

"It's... Alright, Hikaru" Kaoru said softly, "It's just like that time... When we were sleeping together, and you were cutting up that fruit for me..."

"KYAAAAAH!" The girls squealed in unison.

Kyoya smiled, but Hana noticed the tension in his gaze. She knew, that underneath the cover, he was agitated. Of course, he would never show it in front of the fangirls- the Host Club would lose business- but somewhere deep, deep down inside Hana's heart, she felt worry. Was Kyoya okay?

"Kyoya, let's go over there" Hana suggested, pointing at a secluded area of the ship away from the crowds and the noise. He nodded, but even then, there was this faraway look in his eyes, as though he was seeing her but not really seeing her.

Once they reached that area though, he seemed to snap back into attention.

"Thank you for that" he said, looking out across the sea, "I find that watching the same scene repeatedly gives me a headache"

Hana nodded, but didn't say anything. They stared out at the sea, and after a while, she said, "So, tutoring, huh?"

"I've seen you struggling" he said, and Hana did her best to bite her tongue and say that she was not struggling, but a strangled sound escaped her throat. He turned to her and smiled that fake smile of his, letting it drop after a second, "I'm sorry, but it's true"

"Just get on with it. My pride can't take much more"

His lips twitched, and Hana wondered why he always held his smiles back. If he wanted to smile, then why didn't he?

"Anyway, I have some free time on my hands, and I think that you could come over for an hour a week. Not only would it make our relationship seem more real, you could also being your sister along to see the cat"

Hana looked at him, "Are you feeling okay? You're still Kyoya Ootori, right? Not an alien?"

And then suddenly his arms were around her, pulling her to him, and her face hit his chest as he whispered, "I am definitely Kyoya Ootori"

And just as quickly as he'd grabbed her, he released her, looking as though he was laughing. At her, "Well, see you around, Hana"

And during the next few hours she spent at the beach, she still couldn't decipher why her cheeks had heated up at that moment, or why her heart had started thumping faster than a drumbeat in a rock band, or why it was hard to breathe.

Because there was absolutely no way she could be crushing on Kyoya Ootori. After all, she hated the guy, right?

Right?

A/N Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for all the support in reviews and follows/favorites. there are only two more chapters 'til part one of this story ends. It's gonna be EPIC!


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